Chicago changes completely at night.

During the day, people rush through it. Traffic, noise, meetings, places to be. But at night, especially after rain, the city becomes something else entirely. The reflections stretch across the pavement, headlights blur into streaks of color, and ordinary moments suddenly feel cinematic.

That’s what drew me to paint this taxi scene.

It wasn’t really about the taxi itself. It was about the feeling of standing in the middle of the city and watching life move around you for just a moment longer than usual. A yellow cab turning the corner. Tires pushing water through the street. The glow of headlights bouncing off wet pavement before disappearing into the night again.

Chicago has a rhythm to it that I’ve always loved, and at night you feel it even more. Nothing stops for very long. Cars keep moving. People pass by quickly. The city never really pauses to let you catch up. You either notice the moment while it’s happening, or it’s already gone.

As a painter, I think I’m always trying to hold onto those moments a little longer.

When I paint Chicago, I’m not trying to recreate every detail perfectly. I’m much more interested in atmosphere and emotion — the feeling of the air after rain, the warmth of light against dark streets, the movement and energy that make the city feel alive. Sometimes the blur is the most important part. Sometimes reflections say more than sharp lines ever could.

That’s especially true in this painting. The yellow of the taxi immediately pulls your eye through the darker tones of the piece, but it also creates warmth. It breaks through the gray and blue tones of the city without overpowering them. To me, that contrast is what Chicago often feels like at night — busy and restless, but still beautiful in unexpected ways.

Painting scenes like this is also a way of slowing the city down for myself. In reality, the moment may have lasted only a few seconds before everything changed again. But on canvas, it becomes permanent. The reflections stay in place. The light never disappears. The taxi keeps turning the corner forever.

I think that’s why I continue coming back to these Chicago night scenes in my work. They remind me that even the smallest passing moments can stay with us. Not because they were dramatic or important, but because something about the light, the atmosphere, or the feeling of the city made us stop and notice them.

And in a city that moves this fast, that feels worth holding onto.